


Ghost Riders

by Outlier_Writer



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:48:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29075082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Outlier_Writer/pseuds/Outlier_Writer
Summary: Micah paused, raising his head. He had to strain his ears to hear it over the wind and between the thunder but once he heard it a curse left his lips. Headed in his direction was the familiar sound of hoof beats. And it sounded like there were a lot of them. Had he been followed after his latest robbery? He hadn’t left anyone alive to tell the law men what he looked like but there was still a chance someone had seen him and set the law on his ass. Cussing again, Micah’s hands fell to his sides, hovering above his guns and waited. The sound of the thundering hooves got louder and closer, a lone bead of sweat trailing down the man’s temple.It wasn’t until the thundering hoof beats were seemingly on top of his did Micah see where they were coming from and the sight dried up his throat as he started up in horror at the sky.
Kudos: 8





	Ghost Riders

**Author's Note:**

> Copied from my Tumblr
> 
> https://outlier-rookie.tumblr.com/

The wind whipped viciously around the lone cowboy, howling through the tree as it threatened to up heave them from their sturdy roots as well as the hat stubbornly held upon the blond man’s head by his free hand. As brewing storm continued with no signs of ceasing its onslaught any time soon, the blond hair man budged his horse towards a small alcove. With the sturdy stone between him and the unrelenting wind, the stranger hitched his faithful horse and unloaded his camping gear from the horse’s saddle. Sitting down and finally resting his weary body, the cowboy removed his worn hat, throwing it inside his tent as he ran a hand down his face, rubbing at tired eyes.

Thunder billowed through the sky as dark and angry clouds prepared to split the sky with lighting and unleash torrents of rain upon the earth below it. As Micah struggled to get a fire going with the unrelenting wind constantly threatening to blow out the faint embers, a rhythmic thumping echoed through the sky.

Micah paused, raising his head. He had to strain his ears to hear it over the wind and between the thunder but once he heard it a curse left his lips. Headed in his direction was the familiar sound of hoof beats. And it sounded like there were a lot of them. Had he been followed after his latest robbery? He hadn’t left anyone alive to tell the law men what he looked like but there was still a chance someone had seen him and set the law on his ass. Cussing again, Micah’s hands fell to his sides, hovering above his guns and waited. The sound of the thundering hooves got louder and closer, a lone bead of sweat trailing down the man’s temple.

It wasn’t until the thundering hoof beats were seemingly on top of his did Micah see where they were coming from and the sight dried up his throat as he started up in horror at the sky.

There, ploughing through the sky was a herd of cattle, blacker than the night. His legs felt weaker than a new born baby’s but he did not fall to the ground even as terror gripped his heart and Baylock cried out from where he was hitched. As the herd approached Micah got a better look at them, as much as he wish he was unable to tear his eyes away from the dozens of red eyed demon cattle in the sky upon hooves of steel. As they passed by him, he was close enough to feel their hot breath passing over him and see the brands on their hide’s still burning red hot.

Fear threatened to choke him as they thunder by him when his ears prickled at a low and haunting cry that echoed on after the black cattle. Long and mournful, the cries of innumerable men and women sang out through the night.

Micah barely tore his gaze away from where it had been locked and was greeted by a new horrifying sight. Thundering towards him were dozens of men and women of various ages, all sat atop horse that snorted fire as the galloped after the herd of black cattle. Their gaunt and starved faces were hard to make out as the raced by him. Whether they were ignoring him or just didn’t see him didn’t matter. If it hadn’t been for their relentless calls to keep the cattle in sight, Micah would have thought them all blind, as where their eyes should have been were replaced with blacken pits. Sweat soaked their ragged and dirty clothes, leaving them all looking hardly any better than death warmed over and Micah could practically see fresh sweat dripping down the faces of the riders, as their mournful cries filled his ears once more.

A voice suddenly cut through the deafening sounds surrounding him and Micah flicked his gaze over to the source and before him stood a lone figure. They too were dressed in dirt smeared clothes stained with blood and sweat. Empty black eyes stared back at him from under a dark hat as blood dripped down the man’s face. Despite all this Micah still recognised the man before him, no matter how impossible it should have been.

Arthur Morgan was dead. Micah had made sure of that himself when he shot the bastard in the head that night. Yet here he was, perched above Micah on his own fire breathing steed. As the dead man opened his mouth to speak, Micah felt a chill run down his spine.

“Well ain’t this a surprise. Been a while huh Micah?” Arthur sneered as Micah stuttered out an aborted reply, raising a hand and pointing accursedly at the other man who was supposed to be dead. Yet no words left his throat beyond a strangled sound.

Arthur laughed and leaned forwards on his fiery beast, looking down at Micah. Even in death and looking like a demon, Arthur still thought himself better than Micah.

“Always said that I was a bad man.” Arthur continued with a smile, but his words held no mirth in them. “And this?” He said, gesturing to the other riders still chasing those accursed cattle, “This is my punishment. All that robbing and killing I did far outweigh what little good I did, if any. Forever chasing the devils herd. The destiny of many-a outlaw.” With a bloody grin, Arthur turned back to Micah.

“I’d wager,” he started, “That even if you, swore yourself to god and, lived another fifty years doing nothing but good, that you’d still end up here with the rest of us in the end.” With a laugh, Arthur straightened up in his saddle, nudging his horse back towards the sound of hooves and ghostly moans as they slowly started to fade. “I can only hope that if I ever manage to catch that herd, that I may finally rest.”

“But I know you Micah.” He said, tapping the side of his head. “I know that a man like you? Won’t ever change his ways. Even after seeing the hell that awaits him when he dies. So I look forward to seeing you up here with me Micah Bell.”

With one last bloodied grin, Arthur yelled and spurred his horse across the sky, disappearing into the clouds with the other riders as he chased the red eyed demon cows, in the vain hope that if he caught them he’d finally be allowed to rest, leaving Micah alone on the mountain once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song “Riders in the Sky”, I recommend the Vaughn Monroe version


End file.
